ILOILO City – In the wake of the recent maritime tragedy near Caluya Island, Antique, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 is planning to convene a meeting with key government agencies, including the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Armed Forces of the Philippines, and local government units (LGUs), to devise strategies to prevent similar incidents.
The Caluya boat incident on August 26 led to three fatalities, with seven others still missing, and 10 survivors.
OCD-6 director Raul Fernandez expressed his intent to review and reinforce safety measures with concerned LGUs to ensure that such maritime accidents do not recur.
“I’m planning to call for a meeting to avoid future incidents like this one,” Fernandez said, responding to media inquiries about the next steps after the Caluya incident.
The fatal event occurred when two motorbancas carrying 20 passengers, including boat captains, capsized.
The victims identified as deceased are Christopher Gajero, Marlon Belleca, and Mark Dellero, all from Bicol, who were swept away to Romblon by strong currents.
Authorities are still searching for the missing passengers, while the survivors, from various parts of the Philippines, are currently being accounted for.
The preliminary investigation by PCG-Caluya revealed that the motorbancas had evaded coastguard inspections and were not authorized to transport passengers.
They departed covertly from Angol Point, Barangay Manoc-Manoc, Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan, aiming to bypass patrolling law enforcement due to a public holiday.
Fernandez stressed the importance of public adherence to travel advisories issued by authorities to prevent such dangers.
Meanwhile, ongoing search, rescue, and retrieval operations involve multiple LGUs and the Philippine Air Force, despite challenging weather conditions complicating efforts.
The seven still missing are Vic Florencio of Bicol, Roel Dellero of Bicol, Joseph Dellero of Bicol, Frankie Gajero of Bicol, Sauro Dellero of Bicol, Zaldy Pases of Bicol, and Christian Aguilar of Taguig City, Metro Manila.
On the other hand, the 10 survivors are Alvin Salodes of Caluya, Antique; Rhea de Vera of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro; Jarenz Bernal of Caluya, Antique; Joseph Tereliyos of Silang, Cavite; Frederick Lompero of Libmanan, Bicol; Luisa Ojana of Caluya, Antique; Arnold Tereliyas of Silang, Cavite; Jonald Patricio of Caluya, Antique; Garry Patricio of Caluya, Antique; and Arnel Belleca of Bankal, Davao City./PN
